It all started out innocent enough as I was just looking for book to read on my flight to Miami next week. Problem is, I’m not an avid reader so it takes a while for me to find a book that will hold my interest. I settle on getting another diet book to see if I can get myself motivated to start yet another diet after my vacation. As usual, there is a ton of books because we Americans are generally just looking for the next fad diet so we can lose a few pounds over a couple of months only to fall off the wagon again and gain it all back plus a few extra for good measure. One title jumps out at me: Skinny Bastard – A Kick-in-the-Ass for Real Men Who Want to Stop Being Fat And Start Getting Buff. Hell, who couldn’t love that title! A diet book by two hot chics with a potty mouth; yeah this is my next book.

Well, I figured I might as well start reading a little when I get home. The first few chapters are pretty standard with sugar and simple carbs bad, complex carbs good but the writing is pretty funny with a straight forward and potty mouthed style. Then Chapter 4 rolls around which discussed meat. I’m figuring this is going to be my standard low-fat rant on how red meat sucks and fish and chicken is the way to go. But oh no! As the pages roll by they are bashing meat, the meat industry and quite frankly my way of eating life. I pause after a page or two and say to my wife, “Hey, I think these bitches are saying to be a vegetarian.” But as the next chapters go by they are also bashing dairy and eggs. No this is one step south of most vegetarians; all the way to vegan land. Sure I’ve heard the term before but like most people I didn’t really know what it meant. Basically it means to not eat animals and any of the products that come from them like milk and eggs.

In my opinion, the rest of the book was simply a rant on saving animals from consumption and how we should all be eating plant based food. To be honest I felt a little cheated in that I thought I was buying a diet book and ended up getting a political ad from PETA. However, a few things stuck out for me in this book and got me thinking more about it as a lifestyle change. In particular the parts about lowering cholesterol and blood pressure. Both of which I’ve had problems with forever and take medication to treat. My first summer out of high school, I had my cholesterol checked and it was already high at 248. It’s pretty been high since and I started taking Lipitor several years ago to help with it. With heart attacks and bypass surgeries in my family history, my future doesn’t look to rosy if I continue on the path I’m going down.

But can I give up meat? Can I give up dairy and eggs? Do I want to? As first I simply said hell no! I love meat. That was what was so great about the Atkins diet. I can’t go a day without eating meat because if feels like I’m just snacking. Meat gives you that nice full feeling that a salad has never gave me. To be honest, dairy and eggs are not a huge part of my life right now and while I’d miss them, it wouldn’t be as bad as giving up my meat. But what is the answer then? And quite frankly, what the hell do I have to lose? I’ve tried diets over the years and done pretty good on some and some never get off the ground. But in the end, I stop them and gain all the weight back and then some.

So yeah, I’m going to give it a shot. The medical evidence makes sense to me and the worst thing that can happen is I learn a little more about a different lifestyle and pick up some new recipes. I don’t plan on starting until after my cruise this coming weekend and I prefer to start these things on the weekends so I have time to cook and adjust so I’m planning on launching this on August 8th, 2009. I have quite a bit to learn about eating vegan between now and then and I’m sure I will make some mistakes along the way but nobody is perfect.

Here’s hoping it sticks!